Rail splicer



R A l L s P L I c E R n I AAAAAAAA IQN FIL-ED APR. 8 I 9 2 2. 1,418,915, PatentedJune 6,1922.

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Specification of Letters Patent. Pantani-,ed June 1922.

Application. filed April 8,1922.' Serial No. 550,743.

"oi railjoint which may be usedin the manner in which ordinary rail joints are used, but which is intended more especially for temporary joining andconnection of broken rails to perm-it the passage ci cars thereover until permanent repairs can be made.

A further object ofA the invention is to provide `a rail joint having acliair forsupporting they contiguous ends of the rail to be joined, with means-torv clamping the oppo-' 'site sides of the rails includingthe clamping (of the base, the web and the head oi the rail,

and with a wedge member insertibleto torce the rail clamping parts together, and meanstov locli the wedge removably in such wedging position. f I I A 'further object oi" the invention is to provide an improvement upon Patent #1,364,-

"[50, issued January 4,1921, and providing in such improvement means for locking the wedging member in locked or wedged position. i l With these and other objects in view the invention lcomprises certain novel parts,

units, elements, combinations, r'onstrnctions and functions, as disclosed in the drawings, together with mechanical equivalents thereoir, as will-be hereinafter more Yfully described and claimed.

In 'the drawings: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved rail joint shown upon the contiguous ends of a broken rail and in locked position; n

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional-view ktaken online 2-2 ot Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the device in side elevation, as indicated by arrow BL at Figures 1 and'2;

Figure 4 4is a horizontal sectional view taken on linel 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view ot the Wedge member showing the klock-receiving recess; r

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the iinpleinent for withdrawing the lock and permitting the dis-assembling of the parts. l

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

rllhe improved rail ksplice `joint which :forms ythe subject matter ot this `application comprises 'a chair 10 of such proportion as to lengage upon the underside `of thebase 11 oi the rfail ends, which be ofthe usual and ordinary type of abutting rail ends, ora broken rail, ias indicated iat 12.

Along one edge yof the chair 10 ashoulder 13 is provided of such proportionthat at. 14kitengages under the head 15 of the rail with' a side 1,6 engaging. against the -flange 17 of the rail with an inclinedpart 18 engagingalong the upperorfinclined surface yof ythe base 11.

Along the opposite side `of the chair 10 'anabutmentlQ is `provided having an under cut or tapered shoulder 20. A clamping member indicated as an entirety at 21 is provided having means torl engaging the` side of the rail opposite the member 13 corresponding thereto in all particulars and kprovided with a V-shaped groove-22 between which and the taperedshoulder20a tapered space is provided for the receipt of the tapered wedge member f yThis tapered wedge member 23 is shown in perspective at Figure 5 and is provided with a shoudler 24 having inclined sides complementary'to the V-shaped groove 22 ot the member 21. As indicated moreparticularly at Figures 1 and 4 this` wedge member may be driven between the abutment 19 and the clamping member 21, clampin'gthereby the said ,clamping member rigidly and firmly against the rail. "To prevent longitudinal movement of the clamping member 21 lugs 25 are provided engaging in. slots 26y in the chair 10. This permits lateral movementof the member 21 for clamping purposes while preventing longitudinal movement which might be produced bythe passage of'cars over the rail.

When the splice is made at the abutting ends of rails in the usual manner, dowels 27 are inserted through the openings of the holes usually oundin such extremities and their ends are seated in sockets 28 and 29 formed respectively in the members 21 and This provides an additional lock to sol (itl

t oiI engagement.

prevent longitudinal movement ot the member 2l also preventing the separating of the rail ends. lNhen, however, the device is used simply as a temporary splice for abroken rail the dowels 27 are omitted unless holes are available for that purpose, which is not usual and the device is simply clamped upon the splice of the rail for maintaining the abutting broken ends in alinement for temporary use.

Perforations 30 are formed through the abutment 19 so that in case the device is placed upon a tie, bolts31 may be inserted through the peri'orations 30 and through recesses 32 in the edge of the wedge i'nember Q3, which will lock this wedge member against retro-active movement.

As, however, the device is used many times in places where it is impossible or inconvenient to nail to a tie, means is provided which forms the subject matter of this application tor locking this wedge member 23 in position to retain this wedging action until manually removed. This locking means comprises a sliding bolt 33 seated in a socket V34 in the abutment 19 and actuated by a spring 35, The bolt 33 is provided with an inclined end or extremity 3(5.to facilitate the insertion of the wedge member 23 which slides along the inclined or tapered side of `such wedge member until the recess 36 comes into position Yfor engagement by such bolt, whereupon the spring forces the bolt 33 into such position to engage the wedge member Q3 and prevent return movement.

As the device is used principally as a temporary repair, means is provided for releasing the bolt 33 from .such a locking engage- Tlns comprises a slot 37 termed ini ment. the 4under side of and intransverse relation to the chair and inregistry with a socket 38 formed in the bolt 33.

` An implement is provided for actuating'fr this spring bolt 33 comprising a hook 39 formed adjacent the end of the bar 40 which is pivoted at 41 to the lever 42. The length of the arm 40 is such that the lever 42 engages the outer edge ot the abutment 19 and when the lever-42 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure Q the arm 49 forces the hook 39 toward the edge ot the abutment 19, drawing the bolt 33 out or' engagement with the socket 3G. The bolt 33 is provided with a head 43 normally engagng the outer edge of the abutment 19 and when the bolt has been drawn outwardly by moving` the lever in the direction indicated by the arrow at Figure 2 the head will be spaced away `from the edge oit the abutment 19, as indicated at Figure 4, which permits a keeper in the form of a staple 44 betweenthe head and the abutment, as shown` at Figures 3 and 4 which retains the bolt out For the reason that it is necessary to manipulate the keeper 44 it lis necessary toset the removing implement, consisting of the lever 42 and arm 40 at an angle, as indicated at Figure 3.

The extremity of the lever 42 is sharpened or tapered as indicated at 45 to be inserted through the loop of the staple 44 tor the purpose ot withdrawing the staple from its position as keeper when the sliding bolt 33 is to be released.

In operation theadjacent ends of the rail will be brought together either in usual abutting position or any position attained by the break, as indicated in Figure 1, and the chair 10 then lifted from the under side upwardly about the rail and moved laterally until the shoulder' 16 engages the flange 17 of the rail. The member 21 is now put in position and the wedge member inserted, being driven home by the use of a hammer or other implement until the wedge is locked by the sliding bolt 33. It' this is positioned upon a tie it may be further locked by the insertion of the spikes 31 through the per tor-ations 30, but such locking is intended principally for permanent rather than temporary use. i

To release the device from the rails the implement shown at Figure 6 is applied in the position shown at Figures Zand 3, the

lever moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, withdrawing the bolt 33 from enl gagement with the recess 36', the wedge member 23 being then driven out by a hammer in the direction opposite to its clamping movement, whereby the device will drop of its own weight from the rail.

- That I claim to be new is:

1. A rail splice joint comprising a chair having a permanent abutment along one` side conformed complementary to the rail to which it is to be applied and an abutment along the opposite side spaced away 'from the position of the rail and provided with an under-cut, an abutment sliding laterally relative to the rail and tending to engage the rail opposite the irst-mentioned permanent abutment and provided with a groove, the proximate sides ot the last two mentioned abutments forming a tapered wedge-` way, a wedge formed to slide into the wedge-way and clamp one abutment against the rail, exerting stress upon the` other two permanent abutments, said chair being provided with a laterally-extending slot in its under side, a spring-pressed sliding bolt mounted in the chair and engaging a recess in the wedge, said sliding' bolt having a recess registering with the slot in the chair providing means lor inserting a hooked implement through the slot into the recess to withdraw the sliding bolt from locking engagement.

2. A rail splice joint comprising a. chair having a permanent abutment along one side conformed complementary to the rail to which it is to be applied and an abutment along the opposite side spaced awaj)7 from `the position of the rail and rovided with an under-cut, an abutment sliding laterally relative to the rail and tending tov engage the rail opposite the first-mentioned permanent abutment and provided with a groove the rail, exerting stress upon the other two permanent abutments, said chair being provided with a laterally-extending slot in its under side, a spring-pressed sliding bolt mounted in the chair and engaging a recess in the wedge, said sliding bolt having a recess registering with the slot in the chair providing means for inserting a hooked implemcnt through the slot into .the recess to withdraw the sliding bolt from locking en ga'gement, and a head formed upon the exterior end of the sliding bolt providing, when withdrawn, space to insert a keeper between the head and the abutment to retain the sliding boltin withdrawn position.

ln testimony whereof I hereunto an'ix my signature.

MATT Gruslin. 

